tyke

Where does the word "tyke" come from? It comes from Old Norse tik, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Tyke’s story begins in Old Norse: tik meant “a female dog.” A female dog, later used dismissively for a mongrel. It reached English by 1300s as tyke. Broadened from a mongrel dog to an affectionate term for a small child. Today, tyke means a small, often mischievous child, used affectionately.

1. Stage 1 · Old Norse · medieval tik "a female dog", a female dog, later used dismissively for a mongrel.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s tyke "a small, mischievous child", broadened from a mongrel dog to an affectionate term for a small child.